Ohio needs to finish its unfinished business

When Ohio legislators broke for their late-summer recess, they left behind much unfinished business.

But fall has arrived and it's time to get back to the Statehouse, where lawmakers will have plenty to keep them busy.

On the top of the stack, of course, will be what to do, if anything, about Medicaid expansion. That's an issue that Gov. John Kasich and his Republican-controlled Legislature can't seem to agree on.

Kasich maintains that Medicaid expansion is needed in Ohio to extend coverage to 275,000 low-income people, and doing so would allow the state to collect $13 billion from the federal government over 7 years to pay for it.

GOP leaders in the House and Senate say they plan to revisit expansion, but are leaning toward a state-created plan that would allow work requirements for enrollees.

In all likelihood, however, there may be little done on the politically hot topic until after next year's primary, if then. As is too often the case these days, it's more likely the Medicaid expansion question will be answered by the voters.

The Healthy Ohioans Work group is now collecting signatures to place the initiative on the November 2014 ballot.

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Ohio needs to finish its unfinished business

When Ohio legislators broke for their late-summer recess, they left behind much unfinished business.